Machines for treating or washing clothes and the like



" Nov. 25,1958 0. H. PETTERSON ETAL 2,861,446

MACHINES FOR TREATING 0R WASHING CLOTHES AND THE LIKE 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 20, 1953 Nov.-25, 1958 o. H. PETTERSON ETAL 2,861,446

MACHINES FOR TREATING 0R WASHING CLOTHES AND THE LIKE 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 20, 1953 I171) GJ'ZTZODS I 0 jiPe-bepsolz/ G I Fnedho 5122/:

1958 o. H. PETTERSON EIAL 2,861,446

MACHINES FOR TREATING OR WASHING CLOTHES AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 20. 1953 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig. 3

I12 0 @RZODS 0 .H,Pe'b bc no 012, G I J3 e cifz/o 5122/ Nov. 25, 1958 o. H. PETTERSON ETAL 1,

MACHINES FOR TREATING 0R WASHING CLOTHES AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 20. 1953 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 3 3w 0 \B 8 m E 8 I ll l 1 lli i 2 a m S. 5 m7. V 3 8 a mm 2 9 8 3 wm 9 S 9 Q 8 w m, V 5 2 E 7 AI m m 2 mw J 3+ 9 wow R. CK/L/ 8 v F 9.. No v 1.. H m R. 8 2, 3 \mm on 8 8 MM 4A1 NM. BNILZ v. pm x ww in Fri 8 8 E 3 .iliil silri B 5 m mm R N9 Q o2 8 3 a 8 2 v2 k R B z 8 8 HF 2 R m t Nov. 25, 1958 o. H. PETTERSON EI'AL 2,861,446

MACHINES FOR TREATING 0R WASHING CLOTHES AND THE LIKE e Sheets-Shee t 5 Filed Aug. 20. 1953 ZZZ/v ezztom O. JZPe CZEPJOE G.I.F1 edh0Zm Nov. 25, 1958 o. H. PETTERSON 'ET AL 2,851,446

mamas FOR TREATING 0R WASHING CLOTHES AND THE LIKE United States ate-tit MACHINES FOR TREATING on WASHING CLOTHES AND THE LIKE Olof HolgerPetterson and Gunnar Ivar Fredhoim,

'Bromma, Sweden Application August 1953,,SerialNo. 375,423 4 Claims. (Cl.;68-4) This invention relates to power-driven laundry apparatus-and more .particularlyto .a machine for treating or washing clothes and the ;like in which a rotatable clothes receiving drum is employed.

Apparatus heretofore known for household washingis usuallyconstructedzin the form ofa complete indivisible unit and is therefore capable of use only for a fixed, definitively given working process. Such apparatus usually suffers from ,the disadvantage. that owing to its bulk, space intendedfor otherpurposes must be sacrificed for its use, and difficulties are encountered in movingit from one place to another, e. g. from roomto room.

It is ,a general object of the present invention to overcome these difiiculties and ,disadvantages,land the invention accordingly consistslin ,a machine for .treating or washingclothes and the like comprising adrum mounted on .two supporting rollers, and .adaptedto receive the clothes, a stand'having rolling members for the .drum, and a driving set comprising a motor, oneor more reduc tion gears, and rolling members for the drum, said drum, said stand and said driving set being in theform .ofunits, 'which are so constructedand arranged that the driving s'et maybe assembled with the stand,, and ,the.drum inturn m'aytbemounted on the units thus assembled, in such a way .as to be rotatably carried by the rolling members.

A still further object of theinventionisto provide a .POwer take-elf unit for the clothes receiving drum,which unit comprises two driving rollers so arranged that said unitmay be used as a wringer for the washing clothes. Further objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with theaccompanying, drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a; perspective view ,of awashing machine; E gure 2 is a perspectiveview of,a driving mechanism and a rotatable, roller driving the. drum;

' F,igurej 3 is a cross-section taken substantially along the lines 3-3of Figure '4,.'showing the. driving mechalong. the. lines paratus con iprises the following units:

(g) 'A driving set 1 containing an electric motor 2, reductiori gears, transmission members and 'drivi'ng rollers;

1 (bl-Arotatable drum 3 adapted to receive theclothes :an d formed witha cylindrical-jacket which may be arrangedinv frictional engagement: withithe idriving rollers;

.T("c.) A tubular stand-4 proyid'edwitha supportingroller for he dru n.

The driving set 1 is placed on the stand 4 in a fixed ,position in which the transmission members are capable .of transmitting the power to the drum 3 supported onthe one hand by'driving rollers -5 and '6, respectively, combined-with the driving set-and, on the other hand,:by a freely running supporting roller 7 carried by the stand. The container 3 is formed as a solid of revolution, the cylindrical jacket of which being, along a centre-line, provided with anannular flange-9 made of two flanges welded together and each belonging-to one of the two halves which constitute 'thecontainer. This container forms a rotatable fluid-tight drum with a centrally arranged opening in one side wall, which opening canbe closed by means of a cover 10.

The driving set shown in Figures 3 and 4for ms a separate unit, in which the driving motor 2, by means of a belt 11, belt pulleys 12, 13 and a worm axle 14 drives a worm wheel 15. The axle 14 is parallelwith the motor shaft 16 and perpendicularto the axles of the rollers 5 and 6. The worm wheel 15 is rigidly connected to one end of an axle 17 parallel with the rollers, which axle carries a worm 18 of a reversing mechanism which will be hereinafter described. A chain wheel 19 driven by means of the axle 17 is in operative connection witha chain wheel 21 by aid of a chain 20. The wheel 21 is (carried by a sleeve shaped axle 22 which is arranged to drive the roller 6 by the aid of adog clutch.

The speed of the motor 2 and the diameter of the belt pulleys 12 and 13 are chosen in such a manner that the worm axle 14 runs at a speed of e. g. 5000 revolutions per minute. The axle 17 and thus the chain wheel 19 are driven at approximately 300 revolutions per minute. "The roller 6 runs at about the same speed, which means that the drum 3 is rotated at a speed of about '30 revolutions per minute.

From the worm wheel 15 which, as mentioned above, drives-thewashing drum, power is deliveredjfor driving the worm 18 which is fixed to the axle 17. The Worth 18 runs continually during the entire washing procedure and is arranged to transmit power to the reversing mem- -bers.' Thus, the worm meshes with a worm wheel 23 which rotates at a speed ofabout 4 revolutions per minute. Carried by the wheel 23 is a'cam disc 24 formed by two half-cylindrical surfaces 25 and 26, the first of which 25 has a greater diameter than the other. The two cylindrical surfaces are, in a common way mutuallyconnected to transition surfaces.

A trundle '27 engages the edge of the cam disc and is journalled at one end of an arm 28 swingableabout-a pivot 29 which is inserted in a flange 30 (Figure 4) provided on a casing which surrounds inter alia the Worm gear 14, 15. The trundle ,27 maybe lifted or lowered between two levels by means of the rotating cam discand is carried by a pin 31 rigidly connected to the arm 28 and is, under free motion, inserted through the mid-portion of a horizontally arranged lever 32, the two endst 33 of which are extended to the end portions of the driving rollers where each of said ends carries an upwardly directed pin 34. Each pin is movable in an axial direction in a bore located in a boss 35 of the driving set casing, and abuts against a heel 36 provided on a casing 37 surrounding the driving rollers 5 and ,6. The casing 37 is swingableabout an axle 33 carrying thelower driving roller 6 so that thecasing can be angularly adjusted by means of the cam disc 24 in such a manner. that either the driving roller 6 is in frictional engagement with .the cylindrical casing 8 of the drum 3 or the roller 5 transmits the power to said drum. The rollers 5 and 6 are moreover arranged to engage each other under certain pressure and rotate in oppoite'directions. The rollers, which are made of rubber and are provided witha central axle,.are at the mid-portion formed-with-an annular slot v for the flange 9.- a

39 adapted to receive the flange 9 of the drum so that the drum cannot travel sideways. For the same purpose the supporting roller 7 is formed with a guiding slot tion clutch, by means of which the two chain wheels 19 and 21 and thus the sleeve axle 22, driving the lower roller 6, may be disengaged from the worm gear 14,

, and the driving motor 2.

As shown in Figure 4, the axle 17 and the worm gear 14, 15 are enclosed by a casing which at one end is connected to a casing 41 surrounding a ball bearing 42 for one end of an axle 43 aligned with the axle 17. The other end of the axle 43 is journalled by means of a stub axle 44 freely mounted in a bore 45 centrally arranged in the axle 17. The axle 43 projects beyond the casing 41 and carries at its free end the chain wheel 19. The axle 17 is carried by two ball bearings 46 and 47, and, at the side of the worm wheel 15 facing the axle 43, is connected to an internally conical friction mantle 48 coaxial with the axles 17 and 43 and adapted to receive a clutch cone 49 which is integral with a grooved disc 50 axially displaceable but not turnable on the axle 43. In the friction clutch as described, the clutch cone 49 is normally held in engagement with the mantle 48 under the action of a screw spring 51 which surrounds the axle 43 and is arranged between the disc 50 and a spring bracket 52 rigidly connected to the axle. By this means, the axles 17 and 43 are normally coupled to each other and form a continuous shaft transmission.

The clutch cone 49 may be disengaged by the aid of a fork 54 swingable about a pivot 53, the shanks of said fork being in engagement with the groove of the disc 50. The upper end of the fork is adjustably connected to an operating arm 55 swingably mounted on the same pivot 53 which carries the fork. The free end of the operating arm reaches into the path of rotation of two pins 56 and 57 (Figures 4 and 5) carried by the worm wheel 23 which is rigidly connected to the cam disc. Said pins 56 and 57 alternatively engage the operating arm and cause it to swing clockwise so that the fork displaces the clutch cone 49 out of engagement with the mantle 48. The pivot 53, carrying the fork and the operating arm, is

inserted in two car portions 58 of the casing 41. The

moment when the clutch is caused to be disengaged may be adjusted by means of a setting screw 59 in an angle-- flange 60 of the operating arm 55. The setting screw abuts against a finger 61 on the fork situated above the pivot 53. The casing 41 is at its outer end portion rigidly connected to a stand wall 62, the upper portion of which carries a ball bearing 63 in which the sleeve-shaped axle 22 and the chain wheel 21 are journalled.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary section through the washing drum 3 taken along the inner side of the end wall of the drum. As shown, the drum is internally provided with agitating ribs 64 designed in usual manner, extending over the entire breadth of the drum and made of perforated sheet metal. The ribs, preferably three in number, have a triangular cross-section and are directed towards the centre of the drum. In the portion of the rib adjacent the jacket 8 of the drum, there is arranged an electrical heating element 65 connected to a countersunk plug contact 66 in the end wall of the drum, which plug contact is adapted to receive a common female contact or a cord connector. During'the heating period the drum is kept still standing with the agitating rib, containing the heating element, at the lowest level. In the portion of the end wall located at the top portion of the rib 64 an aperture 67 is provided for controlling the water level in the drum. Said aperture is provided with a glass plate fluidtight mounted in a framing 68. Different levels may be read ed by turning the drum through certain prescribed angles.

A draining outlet may be provided in the end wall of the drum adjacent to the jacket 8, which outlet normally is closed by a cover which may be threaded or formed with bayonet clutch members. This outlet may be provided with an automatically closing valve. The outlet may, if desired, be placed, in one of the agitating ribs. Under all conditions the outlet opening may be used as a supply opening in which case the drum is turned into such an angular position that the opening serves level controlling purposes.

The casing of the driving set consists .of two portions 70 and 71 (Figure 3), the first mentioned of which substantially surrounds the driving motor 2 and the last mentioned surrounds the reduction gears described above. The portion 70 has a greater depth in the axial direction of the motor than the casing portion 71 but the two por tions have a common back wall72 facing the supporting roller 7 on the stand. The end walls of thecasing, which are designated as 73 and 74, are vertical and at the upper part are connected to two plinths 75 and 76 respectively (Figure 4), which plinths carry bearing member's adapted for the lower driving roller and are provided with walls 77 facing each other. The distance between said walls 77 is somewhat greater than the length of the driving rollers so that horseshoe-shaped bearing flanges 78 on said walls may receive the axle of one of the driving rollers. Between the plinths 75 and 76, the first mentioned of which contains the chain wheel 21 and the sleeve-shaped axle 22, the casing of the driving set having an inclined wall 79 parallel with the plane through the axles of the driving rollers according to Figure 3. The above-mentioned pins 34, by means of which the casing 37 of the driving rollers can be angularly adjusted, extend outwardly through the wall 79 which for the rest is with out openings. The lower part of the end walls 73 and 74 is connected to a bottom part 80 designed with two grooves 81 arranged in planes perpendicular to the driving rollers and each adapted to engage one of the tubular side pieces 82 of the stand frame 4.

The above-mentioned frame pieces .82 are parallel to each other and adapted to be placed in a horizontal plane, e. g. on a table or on the opposite edges of a bath tub 83. For said purposes the frame pieces are provided with rubber heels 84 designed in a suitable manner. The driving set is held in a fixed position on the frame by aid of vertical pins 85 on the frame pieces 82, which pins engage bores in the bottom part 80 of the casing. The driving set may in this way be easily placed on the stand at the prescribed distance from the supporting roller 7 which is carried by bearings 86 at the upper ends of upright portions of the frame pieces 82. The supporting roller need not be designed as a roller with an entire cylindrical surface but may e. g. be diivded in a number of mutually parallel discs or rings rolling on the cylindrical jacket 8 'of the drum. The portions of the roller 7 which engage the jacket are preferably made of rubber or other sound deadening or resilient material. The stand frame 4 may in a suitable way be strengthened by means of cross stays arranged between the frame pieces 82 which latter, being outside the driving set, are connected to each other by means of a perpendicularly arranged end frame portion 87. The stand frame 4may according to the foregoing be made of a tube bent in U-form, the mid-portion of said tube constituting the end portion 87. 'When the machine is not in use the stand 4 may be hung up on a wall or 'other convenient support in such a'manner that the sup porting roller 7 in a' horizontal position serves as a shelf or a bracket upon which the drum 3 can be placed.

The driving rollers 5 and 6 with the casing 37 constitute a unit which is removable "from the rlii ving set and which may be easily'replacedin the operating position.-

'These sleeves 91 maypass through the open top of-the bearing sockets 78 on the inside'of theplin'ths 75 and 76 and rest in said sockets, one shank of which isupright and extends upwardly beyond the centre of the sleeves 91. Considering the form ofthe sleeves the roller casing can only be put into the operating position in a prescribed manner which will be more closely "described in the following. When the roller casing takes the proper position in relationto the driving set the axle.38 of the roller 6 is coaxial with the sleeve-shaped axlei'22 carrying the chain wheel 21.

The sleeve axle 22 is attached to'an inner sleeve 93 (Figure 4)by means of screw-threads and locks the ball 'bearing 63 in a fixed position. In a bottomportion 94 of the sleeve 93 there is a diametrically arranged slot with a central bore adapted to receive an axially displaceable axle stud 95 and a plate or vane 96 diametrically inserted into said axle stud. Theplate or vane 96 forms the acting members in a claw or dog clutch between the axle stud 95 and the roller shaft 38. The outer end of the axle stud 95 is provided with an operating handle 97 by means of which the vane 96 can be removed from the engaged positionagainst.theaction ofa helical. spring 98. This latter surrounds the axle stud and'isiheld between the outer edge. of the vane 96 and a ring-99 fixed in the sleeve 93. .In the engaged position of the clutch the vane 96 .is in engagement withazdiametrical slotin the end of the roller axle 38; which end forms a-head100. This head'forrns moreover the inner path for balls in a ball-bearing, the outer path of which'is constituted by the inner side of the sleeve 91 on the roller casing. The other end portion 102 of the axle 33 is designed and journalled by means of balls 101' in the same manner as the above described head 100 only that said end portion 102 lacks clutch members.

When the roller set is to be placed in its operating position between the plinths 75 and 76, the handle 97 must be drawn outwardly. After the sleeves 91 on the roller casing have engaged the bearing sockets 78 the driving roller must be turned so that the slot in the head 100 is in alignment with the clutch vane 96 whereupon the operating handle is liberated. In this way the roller 6 is brought into driving connection with the axle 43 in the friction clutch. The angular position of the roller set in relation to the inclined wall 79 of the driving set casing depends on the position of the cam disc 24 and consequently of the lifting pins 34. The roller set can, howover, under all conditions be placed in proper position because the same also in the operating state is swingable about the axle of the roller 6 through a certain angle which as a precautionary measure is limited. This is connected with that condition that the driving rollers are freely available from both sides for the purpose of being used as a wringer (Figures 8 and 9). In accordance herewith the casing 37 is open on that side which in the operating position is turned against the drum 3 while on the opposite side of the rollers there is a slot-shaped opening 103 (Figure 3) in the casing which opening extends over the entire length of the rollers and Serves as the supply opening of the wringer. Said supply opening ought not to be freely available when the rollers are in driving connection with the motor. For this reason the corner portion 92 on the sleeves 91 are arranged in such a manner that the upright shank of the sockets 78 serves assists as a stopping member for the corner portion so that the roller 'se't': only can 'b e swung upwardly from the {eperatirig positionthrough such a limited angleth'at the supply opening 1'03is still blocked by the casing of the driving-set. The above described design of the casing 37 is connected with the direction of rotation of the rollers. According to Figure 3 the roller 6 is adapted to rotate clockwise. Therefore, at the upper side of the roller set there is no risk of the operators fingers or other objects being pinched between the rollers.

According to the position shown in Figure 3 the roller 6 is the operating roller for driving the'drum, which is, moreover, carried by the supporting roller 7. Thus, the drum may be put in rotation in a counter-clockwise'direction. The reversing of the movement-is initiated by means of a pin 56 on the worm Wheel 23 which passes into engagement with the operating arm 55 so that the friction clutch 48, 49 is disengaged. At this moment, the

pressed into contact with the jacket surface of the washing drum 3. At this moment, the rollers 5 and 6 have a braking effect on the drum so that this latter is brought to rest. Upon a further rotation of the cam disc, the washing drum is raised by the roller 5 out of engagement with theroller 6 and thus rests only against the upper roller. in the meantime, the pin 56 has passed the op crating-arm 55 which returns to the position shown in Figure 4, and the clutch cone'49 is forced, bythe spring 5 1, into engagement with the friction sleeve 48 so that power is again transmitted from the axles 17 and 43 via the chain 20'to the roller 6 and from this latter to the roller.5 which, as a result, puts the drum into rotation in a clockwise direction. The next reversing takes place when the pin 57 actuates the operating arm 55 and the .cam disc lowers the trundlej27 and thus the roller 5, at

the moment when the two driving rollers simultaneously come into contact with the jacket surface of the washing drum, a braking effect being again obtained andthe drum being brought to rest. The driving roller 5 is're- The two rollers 5 and 6 with their casing 37 are, as

indicated above, adapted to be used as a wringer. For this purpose, the casing 37 together with the rollers is turned end for end so that the roller 5 will be located in the normal driving position of the roller 6, as shown in Figures 8 and 9, which is rendered possible by the roller 5 being journalled in the casing 37 in the same manner as the roller 6. Supporting sleeves 104 for the axle of the roller 5 are shaped in full conformity to the supporting sleeves 91 for the axle of the roller 6. The corner portion is, however, so directed in relation to the corner portion 92 that the roller set may assume such a position that the roller axes lie in a vertical plane, the roller 6 then being located uppermost, the opening 103 in the casing, which serves as a supply opening for the washing clothes, being turned away from the driving set. In order to fix the roller set in said upright position, a sleeve 105 containing a bearing for a crank 106 is mountable on the plinth 75 by the aid ofa screw 107 passing through a mounting plate 103 attached to the sleeve 105 and shaped in conformity with the upper side of the plinth. Said sleeve 105 encloses the supporting sleeve 91 on the roller casing. In a similar way, fixing members may also be provided at the opposite end wall of the roller casing. Preferably, the sleeve 105 together with its bearing is so connected to the crankshaft as not to be removable therefrom. Fastened to the outer end of the crankshaft is a diametrically .disposed clutch vane 109 of the same design as the vane water pressed out by the wringer may flow directly down into the tub etc. If desired, the wall turned downwards of the roller casing 37 may be perforated in order to facilhate the running otf of the water.

What is claimed is:

1. A tumbler type washing machine comprising two supporting rollers, a drum rotatably carried by said rollers, a stand associated with one of said supporting rollers and a driving set comprising a motor, at least one reduction gear, the other and driving one of said rollers and a further roller coupled therewith, said stand and said driving set being in the form of units constructed and arranged so that the driving set is detachably mounted on the stand and the drum is loosely placed on the rollers of the units thus assembled, the drum having a substantially cylindrical rolling surface which, in the operative position of the drum is in frictional engagement with one or the other of said coupled rollers, according to the direction in which the drum is to rotate, said driving roller and further roller of the driving set being rotatable in opposite directions, and mechanism operatively connected to the driving set to determine the periodicity of reversal of rotation of the drum by the coupled rollers.

2. A machine as claimed in claim 1 wherein each coupled roller is provided with an axle, a cradle arrangement in which the axles of the coupled rollers are mounted and the mechanism determining the periodicity of reversal of rotation of the drum includes a cam disc driven continuously at a speed which is low in relation to that of the driving rollers, the active cam surfaces of the disc following two arcs extending through approximately 180 degrees and having different sized radii enabling the cradle arrangement to be displaced by means of said cam surfaces for the purpose of causing periodic reversal of the direction of rotation of the drum.

3. A tumb ler type washing machine comprising two supporting rollers, a drum rotatably carried by said sup- .porting rollers, a stand associated with one of said supporting rollers and a driving set comprising at least one reduction gear, a loosely mounted cradle arrangement,

the other and driving one of said rollers and a third roller coupled therewith, an axle for each of said driving and third rollers mounted in the cradle arrangement, said stand and said driving set being in the form of units constructed and arranged so that the driving set is detachably mounted on said stand and said drum is loosely placed on the units thus assembled, the drum having a substantially cylindrical rolling surface, which in the operative position of the drum is in frictional engagement with one or the other of said coupled rollers, according to the direction in which the drum is to rotate, said driving roller and third roller of the driving set being rotatable in opposite directions, and mechanism operatively connected to the cradle arrangement to determine the periodicity of reversal of rotation of the drum by the coupled rollers.

4. A machine as claimed in claim 3 wherein the mechanism determining the periodicity of reversal of rotation of the drum includes a cam disc driven continuously at a speed which is low in relation to the speed of the driving rollers and suitable for a calender, and coupling members on the cam disc axle for detachable engagement with such a calender which is combined with a stand for mounting of the driving set.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,913,612 Parsons June 13, 1933 2,057,277 Parsons Oct. 13, 1936 2,180,225 Dewhurst Nov. 14, 1939 2,224,347 Holland Dec. 10, 1940 2,230,224 Kellermann Feb. 4, 1941 2,369,700 Williams et al. Feb. 20, 1945 2,399,555 Locke Apr. 30, 1946 2,608,003 Tucker Aug. 26, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 417,171 Great Britain Dec. 20, 1934 

